AFL clubs have captured Irish hurlers and Gaelic footballers, NRL stars, NBA prospects and a Canadian rugby union representative.
Now Greater Western Sydney have started the surge into Scandinavia.
GWS announced on Monday the signature of Denmark’s Aksel Bang on an international scholarship, touting the 21-year-old as as Europe’s brightest Australian rules prospect.
Bang will soon start six months of national service with the Danish army in Afghanistan and is expected to travel to Sydney during his scheduled break in April/May.
He will train with the club and also play with their seconds in the North East Australian Football League.
“We have an obligation to invest in talented players wherever they may be around the world if we want to truly develop our game internationally,” GWS coach Kevin Sheedy said on the club’s website.
“As someone who did national service himself, I look forward to learning more about Aksel and his experience in Afghanistan.
“I am sure our players will as well and he will learn a lot from spending time at an AFL club.”
Brownlow Medallist Jim Stynes was the most notable success of Melbourne’s Irish experiment, in which the club brought out Gaelic footballers in the 1980s to try their hand at the Australian game.
More recently, Sydney’s Tadhg Kennelly played 197 AFL games and became the only man to win both an All-Ireland Championship and an AFL premiership medallion, the pinnacle in both sports.
The Swans also recruited Canadian Mike Pyke, who intercepted a pass from All Blacks superstar Dan Carter and ran length of the field for a Rugby World Cup try.
Pyke was influential in his side’s upset grand final win over Hawthorn last year, with No.1 ruckman Shane Mumford limited by a hamstring injury before he was substituted in the final quarter.
The Swans signed talented US college basketballer Alex Starling a year ago using the AFL’s international scholarship scheme, but opted not to list him as an international rookie.
North Melbourne are hoping their US basketball prospect, Eric Wallace, will achieve greater things after joining as an international rookie-listed player in December.
The AFL careers of Australian rugby league internationals Karmichael Hunt and Israel Folau’s AFL careers went in opposite directions.
Bang will link up at GWS with Setanta O’hAilpin, a former junior hurling star in Ireland who suffered a season-ending knee injury in his first game with the Giants.
josh
Roar Rookie
People who claim to be fans of AFL clubs have no idea about the make up of their club squads. All teams have a spot for an international rookie. This Danish kid is taking a spot from a local kid nor is he taking money from the game's heartland. just like Eric Wallace. This is all good stuff by the AFL. Go back to the VFL, WAFL, SAFL etc... if you only want local players in your team.
BM
Guest
Great development for the sport. It has highlighted a pathway for decent players over here to aspire to. His a great kid with a lot of talent. He only learnt the game 2 years ago and is improving with every match. If you are ever travelling Europe make sure you look up if there is a game in your area and get down to support them. It is amazing to see our sport going global.
The_Wookie
Roar Guru
Worth noting that he's not taking a position availale to a local - or an Irish player for that matter.
Reason
Guest
Anything for a headline. What a desperate smoke and mirrors show this competition is.
Cleary89
Guest
Hes going to ask to go back to afghanistan after he realises the club will pressure him into taking steroids!
c
Guest
look out world afl is finally coming
TW
Guest
Post deleted - links not working
Harry
Guest
Tremendous news for the AFL. The Danish nation would be dancing and singing in the streets at the news. If he's the best player in Europe.....well wow.....he must be good....Europe is such a big place. All the best to the Big Banger !!
Australian Rules
Guest
This guy is described as the best player in Europe. Clearly that means he has some athletic quality and a fair sense of the game...and great that he's a European, born n bred. Good luck to him.
Pillock
Roar Rookie
The AFL have a bucket of money they need to spend so they thow a few dollars around on PR about getting international players. It's a fairly good strategy given that the odds are that every now and again a few turn into useful players and everyone forgets about the duds. It's not like they are short changing the home grown players. It seems that the average AFL player is paid substanially more than an average ARL or Union player. After all they can't pay Andrew Demterious any more than the $1.5m plus he currently cops.
Pope Paul VII
Guest
Six months in Afghanistan? Yikes!
Redb
Roar Guru
Exactly, there are a number of arguments about where the money could be better sent,etc. The fact is most sports need grass roots in tradtional areas to fund themselves whilst the governing body looks afield with an eye on the future. If we left it up to the VFL clubs and their own agendas 20 years ago the game would have gone nowhere.
Brewski
Guest
I have a feeling that NZ is going to contribute some very good players in coming years, in fact i have been very suprised that Hawthorn appears to have done so well.
Redb
Roar Guru
Brewski, It's never too late. In fact some significant changes have occured in recruiting, for starters clubs are starting to realise you can go outside the draft and chase international rookies with relative freedom. Look at Hawthorn, 3 kiwis on their rookie list. Unheard of only 5 years ago. There is still a long way to go, but you have to start somewhere. Some AFL fans feel embarassed that it's so small, I dont I think each case is a great story for our game. We are a small country and global influence is minimal. I couldn't care less about an international recruit in the A League for example becuase its not our game.
Brewski
Guest
I think in general you are correct about under 14's beating European teams, however this guy has been identified, so he must have some great athletic ability combined with adequate skills that can be improved, but in all probability will not make it, but most rookies, and indeed draftees don't really make it. The AFL has identified, and IMO 10 years to late, the need to increase the player pool. Fine line between growing the game, wasting money on rookies that will never make it and promoting the game to O/S markets.
micka
Guest
Or... it makes the AFL look like they are promoting the game in non heartland areas by searching for new talents in those areas. Is it that hard to understand? Do the NFL really need to broadcast in Australia? Do the NRL really need to play SOO games in Melbourne? Of course not, but getting new people invloved generally makes the sport a bit of extra dosh to use on making the game better. Wouldn't you like to see the game get huge and see us take on the best from around the world once we know what the rest have to offer? Can you imagine the different styles of play that would develop in different cultures? Footy has so much to offer the world and the world has a hell of a lot to offer footy. I fully embrace it. As for the Aussie kids, Im reasonably confident that the other >95% of individuals drafted into the comp will most likely be 8th generation wheat farmers from Nhill. The Danes won't be "tekkin our Jerbs" just yet...
Redb
Roar Guru
Andrew, You can't see the value in trying to expand the player pool? The bottom line is you have to start somewhere, creating aspiration paths in non tradtional areas is important. Your under 14s already aspire to the AFL.
Andrew
Guest
"2 years in an AFL Europe comp" Redb So where does that rank him amongst kids in Australia , of approximately the same age, playing in state comps ? Are you saying the AFL Europe league is a high standard ? My nephews under 14s team would beat the guys running around in Europe. All this does is make us look so desperate for any international recognition
Redb
Roar Guru
2 years in an AFL Europe comp.
langou
Roar Guru
Has he ever played before?